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Pallial Palliations.

When mollusca trawl their glutinous way across our landscape, they have the evolutionary advantage of a third eye to spot potential predators. It’s called the pallial eye.

I thought I’d tell you something interesting pertaining to ‘Pallial’ before you all dropped dead from the excitement. The North Wales Police ‘Operation Pallial’ has been trawling our mediascape since last November and has finally come to an expensive decision. Even with added garlic it’s scarcely palatable. Chug it down folks, this escargot has already cost you £573,058.

Last November, a man, Steven Messham, founding member of the victimae, that strange sub-species of the human race that roams this once proud land endlessly looking for a compensation payout, found himself left out of the latest sprint to the compo cheque. He had already helped generate an inquiry, The Waterhouse Inquiry, which had sat for 203 expensively lawyer filled days listening to 650 witnesses who had felt unable to call in to their local police station to report their allegations that they had been abused in peace and quiet, but felt reassured by the safety of numbers and the full glare of the media light and the world’s listening ear and were thus able to unburden themselves of their hitherto concealed tale of woe.

During the course of that inquiry, Messham leapt out of the witness box and threw punches at a barrister, and was memorably described as ‘demonstrably untrue […] some of his allegations are wholly inconsistent with earlier statements made by him to the police. In these circumstances we submit it is plain that his evidence must be approached with care‘. He claimed he had been sexually abused by 49 men and women, and physically abused by a further 26.

He has already cost one newspaper £1,375,000 in libel damages after they took his word and published a story that he had been abused by a senior police officer; a story that became considerably embellished during the course of the trial – when this was demonstrated in court, he promptly swallowed a handful of tranquilisers in the witness box and had to be removed to hospital.

Subsequently he was found to have omitted the small detail of £40,000 in his bank account when claiming various benefits, was accused of having misappropriated some £65,000 from the victimae charity that he set up, although this was never proved; and even his own solicitor admitted he ‘may have fabricated some of his allegations of abuse over the years’.

I don’t think there is a final figure yet for the series of events surrounding ‘did he, didn’t he’ name Lord macAlpine as one of his abusers during the Newsnight debacle.

None of this matters, for what is undoubtedly true, or at least charitably believed by the authorities, is that at some point, less than 5,840 days after his birth, someone inserted a penis into his anus. 5,840 days is an important date. A penis in the anus 5,841 days after your birth can bring you a fulfilled life as a liberated homosexual, a life of elegant soirees, exciting ‘gay’ cruises’; an entire industry dedicated to helping you enjoy this experience. Beware! The same action a mere 5,839 after your birth will traumatise you for ever, turning you into an inveterate liar, trouble maker, thief, drug addict, drunk – and none of it is ever your fault. Not in your entire lifetime is is your fault. You have become a lifetime member of the victimae.

To be instantly believed, whatever you say; to have the nation’s police force jump to attention at the very promise of another whisper from your victimae lips. Thus it was that when Messham sniffed the air and announced that the Waterhouse inquiry hadn’t gone anywhere near far enough, there were loads more victims of abuse out there, it was all a cover-up; the conspiracy theory forums nearly wet themselves with excitement, and the North Wales Police jumped to attention. ‘Operation Pallial’ was born. They can’t afford to have anyone thinking they don’t take child protection seriously in these days. According to Detective Superintendent Ian Mulcahey, they must ’promote the perception’ that offences against children are taken seriously and investigated properly. At the same time, the ‘Macur Review’ was launched to investigate whether the remit of the Waterhouse Inquiry was to narrow. That review hasn’t reported yet.

The remit of Pallial is so wide that it includes anyone living in Wales at the time, in a children’s home, who believes that they have ever been abused, by anyone, male or female. Not just Bryn Estyn. The definition of abuse stretches from verbal abuse through to sexual abuse. Blimey.

Within the first two weeks of the operation being announced, the team had received 70 reports, this was to rise to 140 ‘complainants’ eventually. ‘Complainants’ to the police, for not all claimed to have been abused, some were offering information concerning others – but nonetheless, these have turned into the ’140 fresh victims of child abuse’ being trumpeted in the media today.

We are not told how many of the 140 claim to have been ‘verbally abused’ – ‘Come here you little Git!’; how many ‘physically abused’ – ‘kick me in the shins one more time and I’ll clip you round the ear!’ – or what proportion of claimants were relating allegations of matters unconnected with Welsh care homes, which according to the report will have been handed to the Chief Constable of North Wales and not be dealt with under Operation Pallial. Nor can we ascertain how many of the 140 complainants relate to the ‘systemic and serious sexual and physical abuse of children whilst in care at 18 North Wales care homes between 1963 and 1992′ aged between 7 and 19. Not that this will stop the media portraying the report as evidence of rafts of 7 year olds held down and forcibly raped by roaming gangs of politicians….

What we do know is that many of the complainants no longer live in North Wales, in fact could be anywhere in the world. They have been divided into:

New complainants who have not made any previous allegations to the police.

Complainants who have previously made disclosures – and now have more to tell.

Complainants who have previously been ‘spoken to’ by the police, and did not make any allegations at that time, but now wish to make disclosures.

Wherever they are in the world, a team of trained officers will be sent to meet them, a video taped interview will be conducted with them; a social worker will be sent to see them to provide specialist counseling and ‘on-going support’ and then, and only then, will a ‘trained analyst’ investigate the interview to see whether there is a ‘realistic prospect of conviction’ and whether it is ‘in the public interest’ to proceed with such a prosecution. Since at least 10 of the individuals named are believed to be dead, there will be no prosecution regardless of how much specialist counseling has been involved in getting little Johnny to disclose that the nasty man shouted at him 40 years ago.

The last child abuse victim, and she was a true victim, that I visited in Wales, is still as fresh in my mind as though it was yesterday. She was a beautiful girl, but sadly with an only partly formed mind. Her Father had been paralysed and was bed ridden. Her Mother walked into her house one day to find her brother-in-law laughing hysterically as he fornicated with the girl on the floor of the Father’s bedroom. He thought it was hilarious that his brother could do nothing to protect his vulnerable daughter. When the Mother reported this to the police, her house was mysteriously burnt down. Fortuitously whilst they were all on a hospital visit. I will leave it to your imagination as to whom she blamed. There was no prosecution, the Mother deciding that protecting her daughter by moving away from that village was more important. When I met them at their secret address, they were living in a poky, moldy, miserable flat on an estate that had once been a mining village, now filled with drug addicts. They had had no counseling, no advice, no support. The girl had received £13,000 from the criminal injuries board – and No! There wasn’t anything that the mother could think of to buy that would improve matters for them. Nothing at all.

If you want to tell me that the taxpayers are spending £573,058 helping families like that – then I’m your girl, right behind you! But they are not. They are spending it reinvestigating the lies and kerfuffle caused by the likes of Steven Messham and his followers. Politically motivated, providing fodder for the media, an almighty pantomime.

It will get a lot more expensive yet.

‘How could we let this happen’ tweeted Tom Watson MP yesterday! For once I agree with him, though I’m not convinced we would be agreeing on the same thing…

Here’s another definition for you: Palliation. n. easing the severity of a pain or a disease without removing the cause.

Let me clarify that last comment – when I said ‘not good for anyone so accused’ – I meant that this will be used by the media as a weapon against other’s pleading their innocence and will ramp up the venom against those ‘accused’ of the same – I wonder was this some kind of deal – plea bargaining if you will.

I imagine the only bargain he got was that the rape charge was dropped.“A charge of rape dating back to 1976 and three other offences against another woman were allowed to lie on file after the victim accepted it was no longer in the public interest to pursue the prosecution.”

The trawling method is clearly vindicated however.“A number of the victims came for forward after Hall’s first appearance in court on three charges of indecent assault.”

rabbitawayMay 2, 2013 at 14:29

On the bright side – at least M (Wiesenthal) Williams cant’ claim credit for this one …..I bet he’s tweeting like a budgie on amphetamines !!

rabbitawayMay 2, 2013 at 14:47

@moor just posted a link to Music library Finland – interesting it exists …..!!

Oh dear – not good news for anyone so accused – he should have coughed straight away – anyone hazard a guess as to what ‘digital penetration’ is ….goodness me ..!

MadeleineMay 1, 2013 at 12:19

It is worth remembering that during the 1990s the police trawled actively to find abusers in various approved schools and spend a great deal of effort to convince former inmates that if they made allegations they would be rewarded with huge compensation payments. The New Statesman ran some revealing articles about the tactics being used around 20 years ago. A a teenager I knew a couple of the deceased school staff once again being accused of abuse and I am afraid I remain totally unconvinced of their culpability or guilt. It is far too easy for allegations to be made by people with serious criminal and mental health records and for these to be accepted with apparent credulity by the police, many of whom do not appear to be the sharpest knives in the drawer. There is clearly an accepted belief that ‘former staff are all guilty and we must pursue them to their dying day’. We have already seen witch hunts against the innocent in the 1990s and I fear this is about to be repeated. It only takes two money-seeking old lags colluding to make a claim of abuse and it will be almost impossible for any former school staff member to prove their innocence. It is a shame the police don’t spend more time dealing with current crimes, instead of trying to prove that offences were committed 35 years ago. Moreover, how on earth will present day community homes recruit staff if staff fear that in 20 years time they too will be subject to proclamations of widespread abuse and automatic guilt?

Duncan DisorderlyMay 1, 2013 at 15:06

I wholeheartedly agree with everything you have written. I feel desperately sorry for the innocent former care workers in North Wales who must be going through absolute hell right now.

carol42May 1, 2013 at 19:30

Well said, I wouldn’t go near working with children or young people at any price, who knows what will happen in the future. I see Bill Roache has been arrested now! it is beyond a very expensive joke, I give up, the police and media have lost any common sense, if they ever had any in the first place. I was out and about today and asked everyone what they thought about the whole thing and not one person agreed it was right and all thought it was utterly mad arresting elderly men for supposed incidents in the 60s and 70s. I think the Rolf Harris arrest was the last straw for many. Everyone was complaining about the waste of resources and money on things that can never be proved and very few now believe.

Interesting that he pled guilty. Maybe this was a kind of behind the scenes plea bargain type thing to get it over with and get rid of the rape charges. Previously Hall had said he would vigorously defend the allegations.

The Bill Roach thing is almost 50 years ago. It is as if someone was arrested in the 60′s for something that happened before World War 1. The woman who said she was raped must now be in her sixties. She is to be applauded for stepping forward so promptly while the evidence is still fresh. Had she left it until after his death, this matter could never have been cleared up.

NoFixedAddress May 2, 2013 at 09:52In my lifetime the invention of the internet seems the best way to find true freedom of speech.

There is clearly a caucus out there on the internet, of people who have suffered one way or another in their childhoods, and in the past how could they possibly be heard? Now, they can blog and talk in forums. In that sense, I do wonder if there is some wisdom within the authorities that is determined to allow this historical boil to be lanced in the mainstream.

To continue the medical analogy I suppose the trick will be to avoid infection, or blood poisoning whilst this is done; and let’s face facts – pus is never pretty to see, and it always hurts like hell when you squeeze it out, but everything is much better once it is done.

miss mildredMay 1, 2013 at 09:58

Welcome back Anna. I became aware of your website after reading Richard Webster’s writings on Brin Estyn and the Waterhouse Enquiry. I have mentioned the Cheshire accusations before and the subsequent pardon and release of those falsely accused. Yes there were child molesters in the Cheshire system, but it never took on the Mc Carthyesque/witch hunt tone of this whole North Wales business. This automatic belief in the accusers historic accusations of molestation in their remote past is truly sickening. It is like we are stuck in the era of belief in witches and their persecution by the authorities. Where are the crimes done by these now old men in the intervening years? We are told that molestation of children is incurable and needs special intervention to help these molesters. It seems now that anyone whose name is known to children in their care can be ‘fingered’ any old time there is publicity and salacious articles and programmes to be read and seen in the MSM. Anonimity until proved guilty and careful investigation should be proper way. I fear this will not happen until some stop empire building and riding the wave.

Dai BrainbocsMay 1, 2013 at 08:46

If abuse was allegedly being committed on an industrial scale, why after the latest trawl are ONLY 16 people being accused by more than one complainant? And we are asked to believe that 68 others inclined to abuse vulnerable children, some with 24-hour access to a pool of vulnerable children possibly for years on end, abused just one child each in the course of their whole careers? Ludicrous.

Rocky Raccoon (no relation)May 1, 2013 at 00:46

Richard Webster 2005:-“Yet in spite of evidence which points to the proliferation of false allegations of abuse, the belief persists that young people who were in care in the last decades of the twentieth century were subjected to systematic physical and sexual abuse on a massive and horrifying scale.”

Operation Pallial 2013:-“This report reveals that Phase 1 of the investigation has resulted in the collection of significant evidence of systemic and serious sexual and physical abuse of children whilst in care.”

charlotteApril 30, 2013 at 22:34

In group discussion during a certificate of education course we were asked about our abiding memories of school. Mine was either getting cuffed, slapped, pushed or walloped by a teacher or witnessing the same to other pupils. Some of the younger people on my course were shocked beyond belief and I’m sure they didn’t believe me at all. To cry of ‘They can’t do that’ I replied that we all survived it and made sure we weren’t in the line of fire if we possibly could. It was how it was and this was a mainstream primary and secondary modern school. I don’t condone violence at all but I recognise that the 50′s and 60′s were a different time and this was the accepted rule of punishment. At least we didn’t get a detention a good wallop cancelled that out! Ha

I mentioned to a younger friend getting the cane, cuffed etc. and she immediately said this was “abuse”. I laughed and explained it wasn’t, because we all got caned or cuffed (when we *deserved* it) – and it wasn’t just me. I also explained that I always knew WHY I was being *punished* as well, and barring one or two unfortunate misunderstandings, I was only ever punished for something I knew would attract it – if I got caught… and often I was not caught anyway – so that evened out the one or two times when I got it for nothing……… I might add that, as a boy in a mixed school, it was virtually unheard of for girls to be treated in the same way – mostly because they didn’t tend to do the gross things that young boys often did.

Only the most serious misdemeanours were subject to caning on the behind, otherwise it would be on the hand, and I think for girls it was only ever on the hand, and would tend to be administered by a woman rather than a man, or if not, a woman was certainly always present as a kind of chaperone I suppose. I was never there to witness such a thing but that is what the odd girl it happened to, told me, I think (it was a long time ago).

I think that by the time were were about 13/14 we never needed to be caned anyway, but would suffer serious talkings-to or detention instead. perhaps this was part of the “being treated like adults” phase of our education or maybe by then things were already on the change. That would have been the start of the Seventies.

charlotteMay 1, 2013 at 18:32

HiI started school in 1957 and our teachers began smacking from year one, generally on the back of the legs, a good slap behind the knees. At secondary girls were rarely caned and only ever on the hand. I was very nearly knocked by a board rubber that flew across and connected with my head. It was meant for the boy behind me and usually the teacher had an enviably accurate aim. I was told it was my own fault as I should have ducked. I was a well behaved child and only copped it if I didn’t walk close enough to the corridor wall (to walk in the centre of the corridor was almost a capital offence) or if was caught ‘slacking at PE’. As my parents didn’t smack us they were enraged that a teacher had walloped me with a board rubber and I do believe that my father had severe words with the male teacher. Hey Ho. Anyway, here I am to tell the tale = no lasting damage and if I remember my friends were quite off with the teacher and moaned about it forever to the other teachers, ‘it’s not right miss/sir.etc. It made for an interesting day anyway Ha.

LucozadeMay 1, 2013 at 20:41

I remember my gran rattled or drummed both her walking sticks repeatedly at my sister neck just below the ears when she was somewhere between the age of one and three for getting play doh on the carpet, she was screaming the place down (my sister) but when I told mum she didn’t seem that fussed, people have had the police called on them for less these days. That would have probably been between 1988 and 1990….

Well worth the read. The key point he makes is really something very much akin to that which underpinned a lot of the legislation introduced recently, firstly by Labour, and which is potentially still fashionable now, that is, the concept of legislation being put in place to ‘make a statement’. It tends to be, by definition, created to ‘punish’ some behaviour of which some moral busybody or busybodies disapproves, rather than there being any real evidence available which demonstrates that that which is being legislated against is provable as causing real harm

He states it quite succinctly in the following excerpts…

‘In reality, however, the main accomplishment of these sorts of operations is to make a moral statement, to create an impression that through putting right past wrongs something positive will be achieved in the here and now’……………….’ In the course of pursuing their crusade, the crusaders will constantly demand changes to the system of justice – more specifically, they call for the lowering of standards of evidence and burden of proof.’

And, unlike the article writer, there is no sign that very many of the vote grubbing effluent heads that make up our legislatures, or the money grubbing purveyors of half truths who foment the rancid public opinion that drives them, have as many neurons to rub together as will enable them to work out how disastrous the end product will be

carol42April 30, 2013 at 20:35

You would think they would have learned something from the 80s ‘Satanic Abuse’ and ‘recovered memories’ scandals. I don’t doubt some abuse went on in some residential homes but not on this scale. Genuine complainants are lost in the many who are exaggerating, ouright lying or looking for compensation encouraged by the ‘trawling’ expeditions and leading questions. Yet what does seem to have been a real scandal in a London Children’s Home attracted much less publicity. It is incredible to me that so much police time and money can be wasted on historical accusations which can never be proved and that in many cases are relatively trivial. If someone believes their life is ruined by some ‘star’ groping them 30/40 years ago they are seriously disturbed, are their claims to be untested? I don’t believe any of it any more and have still to see any evidence that Savile, whom I disliked, was any more than a serial groper of young girls, not uncommon at that time. A typical moral panic by the media as was that satanic abuse nonsense, I have yet to meet any ordinary people who believe much if any of it, be interesting to see how those charged defend themselves. I very much doubt it will come to much, you would think the police had nothing better to do and no crimes to solve.

Joe PublicApril 30, 2013 at 21:21

“…… If someone believes their life is ruined by some ‘star’ groping them 30/40 years ago …..”

And that also presumes that the the ‘victim’ didn’t actively encourage ‘consequent actions’.

As pure guesswork, possibly 60% – 75% of the females in this country have been ‘groped’ between their late teens & early 20′s. Does this mean that those who’ve retained their decorum & sanity had the good fortune to be groped by ‘nonentities’? If a female is groped byboth a nonentity & a C-list celebrity, is it only the latter who leaves the long-term damage?

Devil’s Advocate question: Can the victims ‘prove’ they were a virgin at the time of the alleged offence??

Jonathan MasonApril 30, 2013 at 21:23

Agree with every word, Carol42.

I actually knew about Messham attacking lawyers under cross examination at the Waterhouse inquiry a long time ago as I remember reading about it in the actual Waterhouse report. This is what makes it so astounding that the BBC would go ahead with the program in which Messham made allegations about an “un-named” Tory Lord without doing even a cursory check into his background and credibility.

I suppose all you can say is that this reflected on what had become a completely tabloid National Enquirer type of ambience at the BBC where the intention was to get eyeballs on TV screens at any price with any kind of sensational crap. They got rid of Entwistle, who could not really have been quite the bumbling idiot he appeared, but will anything really change?

Duncan DisorderlyMay 1, 2013 at 08:44

@Jonathan Mason,“This is what makes it so astounding that the BBC would go ahead with the program in which Messham made allegations about an “un-named” Tory Lord without doing even a cursory check into his background and credibility.”

The Messham story happened after they got rid of Peter Rippon, because of the abortive Savile Newsnight story. He did not go ahead with the Savile story because he knew it would not be good enough if Savile were alive (see Pollard report, and especially Appendix 12 of the report), even if Pollard did not agree. Angus Stickler had previous dealings with Steve Messham, and in 2004 none other than Richard Webster calls him out on it – see this: http://www.richardwebster.net/print/xfileon4.htm

I recall watching this news programme at the time and couldn’t believe that the Freemasons had gone mainstream… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQv7jgSUqRkNo mention of them so far in Operation Pallial?So how can this equate to listening to the victims?…..

Mina FieldApril 30, 2013 at 22:09

@Carol 42I’m glad you mentioned the ‘ordinary people’ aspect because I don’t know anyone in the real world who believes any of it. All the ‘ordinary people’ I know perceive the whole thing as just the media being the media, and of course the BBC, as usual, wanting to be the news rather than reporting the news (re Savile).So the government and the police are in some danger here of alienating themselves still further from the general public. In their rush to give ‘victims’ a voice they have forgotten to ask whether this is what the rest of us want resourcing with our taxes.

“The Waterhouse Inquiry sat for 203 days ……. Statements made to the Inquiry named more than eighty people as child abusers, many of whom were care workers or teachers..”

What did Operation Pallial find….

“…complainants have contacted Operation Pallial with allegations relating to their time in care….At present there are allegations against 84 named individuals….In the vast majority of reports there was ….. abuse of trust and dereliction of duty of care.

Both reports state abuse took place in the homes, by staff of the institutions and each report had 80+ named individuals, Pallial doesn’t sate if these are 80 new names or the same ones reported to Waterhouse.

There was another number that was strange upon first reading and that was that of those 84 victimisers, only 16 were named by more than one person, which seems to indicate that there 68 completely individual people, who none of the allegers had in common, which presumably means there are at least 68 Allegers, which is barely half the 140 number said to be complaining.

This must mean that 72 of the people have named people in common, but then I’m wondering why the other 68 don’t seem to have heard of these serial victimisers. The more you look at these esoteric reports the more bafflingly mysterious they can become. Yewtree was just as mysterious, with 600 complaints but only 200-ish “crimes”. I wonder if we’ll be getting any pie-charts this time. I gather at least 10 victimisers are dead, so that should simplify things a little.

rabbitawayApril 30, 2013 at 19:40

@Moor – I wonder if the dead go straight into the guilty pile and, if their spouse still lives, can a claim then be made upon them as beneficiaries of the guilty parties last will and testament….!!!???

Duncan DisorderlyApril 30, 2013 at 20:39

I suggested above that some/most of the dead will be those convicted of abuse previously (quite possibly wrongly), Sir Peter Morrison, and none other than Sir Jimmy Savile. I also predict they will go straight on the guilty pile – they’re dead, so who cares?

Rocky Raccoon (no relation)April 30, 2013 at 20:27

From the Waterhouse report, Chapter 52.73 onwards….’Facts’ from Witness ‘B’

“B’s evidence to the Tribunal about the circumstances in which he went to live in a bungalow at Mickle Trafford in Cheshire owned by a member of CHE (Campaign for Homosexual Equality) was that the accommodation was arranged for him by social services and that he was taken there by his social worker……On his arrival at the bungalow he was sat down in the lounge and the social worker actually gave him a copy of a newspaper called Gay News to read, saying “I suggest you read that: that might help you”. B went on to say that, during his stay at the bungalow, he suffered sexual abuse involving oral and anal sex from five of the named “other men” and two other partly identified men.”

But…..

“A preliminary difficulty about these allegations is that B did allege (for example, in his statement to the police on 8 February 1993) that he went to the Mickle Trafford bungalow after leaving Neath Farm School in December 1980, which was six months after the relevant social worker left the employ of Clwyd County Council.”

It’s understandable there may have been confusion about the dates, but….

“We are satisfied from the documents and the social worker’s evidence that social services staff were concerned about B from August 1979 (at the latest) onwards because they thought that B was in moral danger. On 7 December 1979 B was collected by the social worker on his discharge from Foston Hall Detention Centre and taken to an After Care hostel in Watergate Street, Chester, where accommodation had been arranged for him; and he obtained employment as a commis chef at Chester Steakhouse, beginning on 18 December 1979, which his social worker had helped to arrange.

However, he left the hostel on or about 4 January 1980 and reported to his social worker four days later that he had moved to the Mickle Trafford bungalow, where he was visited by the social worker on 14 January 1980.”

On more than one occasion I was rapped over the knuckles with a 12″ ruler by the headmaster in the early 1960′s; and, once had my name written in chalk on the sole of a plimsoll from whence it was transferred to the seat of my pants via a number of swift whacks by the PE teacher.

Could any reader provide a menu of claim-values on a 10% commission basis?

I had a similar response – I clearly remember Mrs Minton shouting at me that I couldn’t cook for the life of me, and that she wouldn’t let me anywhere near her cabbage again. I am merely biding my time until I can go onto a forum and see if any of my fellow inmates at that time clearly remember her so shouting at me, for I am sure she told Ellen off for burning the toast one morning. I believe this shows a similar pattern of behaviour, and Minty bless her, passed on many years ago, so it will only be a matter of ‘collating our allegations’. It was clearly verbal abuse which has left me unable to make a decent Dolmas from that day to this, something which obviously prevented me from taking up my chosen career as head cook at the Athens Hilton. I only have to look at a vine leaf to remember that cabbage…

“The notion that they’re all a bunch of stupidly ignorant pigs at times too, was especially emphasised to me when the Newsnight/McAlpine/Morning-TV-Gopher/Bureau-of-Investigative-Journalism runaway train hit the buffers. I was still watching British TV back then, and recall that when Steve Meesham disappeared overnight, there was a furious-looking Paraic O’Brien being broadcast live on Channel 4 from outside a pub, clearly simmering with rage that the Boy Steven had dropped all the pigs in the shit.

The North Wales sex allegations are like The Mousetrap. They will run for ever.

I would like to report that when I was at a school in the Lake District in 1962, the school handyman whose name was Albert had a boy called Nigel measure his penis with a 6-inch ruler in the cellar near the boiler, a difficult task as the said object measured more than 6 inches, requiring manipulation of the ruler. I don’t know what happened to Nigel after this, but I know that I have not been the same person since I heard about this, although I did not witness the act, though I would have been willing, and I think I deserve to be compensated. Albert may well be deceased as he would be more than 120 years old at this point. The school closed down soon after I left.

Which police station do I need to call for my interview and psychological support here in the Dominican Republic? Will they pay my fare and expenses to visit Britain for this purpose?

I would also like to report that I was the subject of an attempted sexual assault by a boy called Simon, aka Fatso, about 1 year older than myself in 1963. He also twisted my arm. A Google search reveals that he is now a company director and an officer of the Red Poll Cattle Society. Can I be compensated for this outrage and how much should I ask for?

LucozadeMay 1, 2013 at 18:22

Johnathan Mason,

Re: “I would also like to report that I was the subject of an attempted sexual assault by a boy called Simon, aka Fatso, about 1 year older than myself in 1963. He also twisted my arm. A Google search reveals that he is now a company director and an officer of the Red Poll Cattle Society. Can I be compensated for this outrage and how much should I ask for?”

Did he hurt you? Was that his intention? And did he know what he was doing was an offence? I think those are the questions regarding this boy and whether he can be held fully accountable for his actions or not….

Here’s a coincidence – Steve Messham has not come out of his padded cell in time to wheeled out for the TV shitehawks….

Duncan DisorderlyApril 30, 2013 at 13:23

The questions I have regarding these new allegations is why:

a) the complainants did not come forward before when, you know, there was a *public enquiry* regarding the alleged abuse in North Wales in the late nineties. I do not regard the usual ‘the victims did not think they would be believed’ spiel is credible, given that they could make allegations back then in confidence.b) the new inquiry was launched because Steve Messham made what everyone now accepts was a false allegation; and also, it is a matter of public record that he is no stranger to making false allegations.

I, coincidentally, was reading ‘The Secret of Bryn Estyn’ by Richard Webster when Messham lied about McAlpine. I want to scream because I know that what is now happening is a great injustice. The care home witch hunt of the nineties is back on!

Bare in mind the age of concent back then for sodomy was 21 – though I dare say is beef is that he would never have concented anyway, if he’d been given the choice.

No excuse for accusing innocent people though….

Robert EdwardsApril 30, 2013 at 12:20

A very elegant and subtle piece, I must say, Anna. One day you will write the book on this (although reading it in instalments may be more effective).

Mr BobbyApril 30, 2013 at 12:05

Yeah uncovering systematic sexual and physical abuse of children eh? What an utter waste of tax payers money and Police resources. Grrrr. I mean who cares? there are surely far more important things plod should be doing than investigating the horrific (and perhaps networked) abuse of minors in care and ensuing some form of justice for all the lives utterly ruined.

I share your cynicism!

EngineerApril 30, 2013 at 14:47

I think Anna’s point was that the investigation of child sexual and physical abuse has been ongoing for many years, but until recently hasn’t been ‘fashionable’. Now it suddenly is, possibly on the back of lurid accusations against a former politician of high standing – accusations that turned out to be baseless – and the sudden turning of attitudes about Jimmy Saville from eccentric entertainer with a taste for younger women to (supposedly) the country’s most vile paedophile.

Anna does point out that real child sexual abuse, when it happens, is truly vile and shatters lives. I think her point here is that because investigation of North Wales care homes has become fashionable, all manner of malcontents, axe-grinders and chancers have jumped on the bandwagon, and make up a percentage (what percentage, we do not know) of the complainants, along with the genuine victims. Sorting the genuine from the chancers will cost the public purse dear. It may have been wiser, and more just, to properly investigate the allegations when they surfaced years ago. In the case of Messham, this was done, and some at least of the allegations were shown to be false. That didn’t help other genuine victims, either.

I’m not sure what the ‘right’ answer to all this is, but I’m pretty sure that turning it into a media circus is not the right answer. The real victims deserve better, and I’m not sure that it helps to prevent there being future victims, either.

Duncan DisorderlyApril 30, 2013 at 14:56

‘It may have been wiser, and more just, to properly investigate the allegations when they surfaced years ago.’

The problem is that these are new allegations, unknown to Waterhouse!

EngineerApril 30, 2013 at 16:09

Quite. So how many are genuine, and how many vexatious?

Duncan DisorderlyApril 30, 2013 at 16:59

‘So how many are genuine, and how many vexatious?’

I cannot know, of course. There will probably be genuine crimes of differing severities in the new batch of allegations. However, why are these new allegations are only coming out now, in the midst of a mass societal panic? I bet that the following dead men will be named as abusers in due course:– those previously convicted of abuse in North Wales (e.g. Peter Howarth, whom Richard Webster believed was a victim of a gross miscarriage of justice).– Sir Peter Morrison (Thatcher era politician) will get named, whom Channel 4 News suggested abused boys in Bryn Estyn, after Messham started up. The only evidence that he abused boys in Bryn Estyn is is that he was apparently convicted of sex with underage rent boys in London. See the news stories online, and see what you think.– Jimmy Savile. I speak not in jest.

I wonder if the Daily Mail will keep a straight face….. I mean bat……….

“Messham’s evidence about abuse at the Bryn Estyn care home in Wrexham has been unreliable from the start. He was even wrong about how long he spent at Bryn Estyn. According to a police statement in March 1992, he said: ‘I stayed there between three and four years.’ In fact, records show, he was there for 20 months, from September 1977 until May 1979. After newspapers began to allege that Bryn Estyn was the scene of widespread abuse in 1991, prompting a massive police inquiry, Messham made the first in a series of statements about his time at Bryn Estyn, and alleged abuse that he suffered after he left. In his first police statement, on March 30, 1992, he said he was physically assaulted by three people, indecently assaulted by two male care workers, Peter Howarth and Stephen Norris, and that two female care workers had sex with him. Both Howarth and Norris subsequently stood trial and were convicted. Two days after Messham gave his first police statement, his wife committed suicide, leaving him to care for their three-month-old daughter. It was at this period of great vulnerability that he became a major figure in the North Wales inquiry. Thirteen years after leaving Bryn Estyn, he made further statements in April, August, September and October 1992, in February 1993, and then again regularly until 1997. His allegations changed from one statement to the next. The Mail on Sunday has examined them, and the number of episodes of abuse he claimed to have suffered rose with each successive statement.

Re: “Yeah uncovering systematic sexual and physical abuse of children eh? What an utter waste of tax payers money and Police resources. Grrrr. I mean who cares? there are surely far more important things plod should be doing than investigating the horrific (and perhaps networked) abuse of minors in care and ensuing some form of justice for all the lives utterly ruined.

I share your cynicism!”

Have you actually read the post the whole way through?

Jane BirdApril 30, 2013 at 11:32

I thoroughly enjoy reading your articles. You have a wonderful way with words!The more I read, the more I’m sure we did the right thing in leaving the country !The inmates are definitely running the asylum ! And apathy rules, so will things ever improve !

“Mr Gregory, who says he was sectioned for several months when the abused scandal re-emerged late last year, added: “Nobody has ever admitted any liability. We’ve been told it was a farce and we were telling lies because we were all after making a bit of money.” Mr Gregory’s, brother Keith, 55, a Wrexham councillor, has said he was also abused during his time in the care system in the early 1970s. The Gregory brothers suggest the abuse went much wider than the Waterhouse Inquiry, which published its report Lost in Care in 2000, found.http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/bryn-estyn-care-home-scandal-3184643“Retired Bryn Estyn teacher Gwen Hurst says while she would never deny children were abused at the Wrexham home the scale has been exaggerated to maximise compensation payments. Among former Bryn Estyn staff convicted of offences was house master Peter Howarth, locked up for 10 years in 1994 for violating boys as young as 12. He died behind bars. Steven Norris, another senior member of staff at Bryn Estyn, pleaded guilty to three offences of buggery, one of attempted buggery and three of indecent assault. Mrs Hurst, who worked at Bryn Estyn between 1975 and 1983, said: “All I know is that Waterhouse cost the country about £13m investigating all these things and spent considerable time over it. “What he was doing was well publicised and everybody had the opportunity to come forward then and some of them did. Then why all of a sudden should it all appear again?”

Joe PublicApril 30, 2013 at 11:27

Once again you scoop the MSM with “Common Sense”.

Methinks, many in ‘the Social Services’ are on a self-perpetuating, job-preservation crusade.

The Boys-in-Blue will also relish the overtime; and, the Legal Beagles will secure funding for continental villas.

rabbitawayApril 30, 2013 at 11:33

@Joe PublicI’ll wager that many police officers are as sick of all this as the rest of us are !!

PaulApril 30, 2013 at 15:44

The rank and file know it’s cr*p. But there are special units full of people who make a career out of this, and they will go after anything to keep their non-job.

Jane BirdApril 30, 2013 at 11:22

I thoroughly enjoy reading your articles. You have a wonderful way with words!Pallial Palliations had me gasping. Are the Police, Courts etc really so naive thaththey actually believe

Its quite an industry they build around all things child protection, moving ever closer to an idea that only homosexuals and the infertile can be trusted to look after children. I think Moor Larkin had it right on the nose….heterosexuality is the new scourge of the new and very twisted corporate world.Even the NHS has programmed its employees to ever look for the signs of abuse, abuse such as ; can the parents pay their bills…are they on benefits, do they have an I phone…. and so it was only those programmed by the corporate realm are certified normal….Twisted don’t cover it.I want to know were 591.7 billion tax take for 2012-13 has gone?

rabbitawayApril 30, 2013 at 10:58

Pallial Productions – good name for a shit hot ex copper to use should he ever branch into film making !!!